Means for controlling the air-supply to water-gas generators.



L. C. LOEWENSTEIN.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE AIR SUPPLY T0 WATER GAS GENERATORS.

AFPUCATION FILED SEPT-30,1913.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915 KO QLGCU I n ventor: Lcuis C. Loewenstein s.

Witnesses H is Jitter-neg 'UMTED snares reruns curios.

LOUIS C. LOEWENSTEIN, 0F LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSEGNOR T0 GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE AIBFSUPPLY T0 WATER-GAS GENERATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 6, 1915.

Application filed. September 30, 1913. Serial No. 792,611.

To a7Z whom it may concern Be it known that l, LOUIS-C. Loews s'rnm, a citizen of the United States, residing at Lynn, county of Essex, State of Mass ac'husetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Means for Controlling the Air-Supplv to Water-Gas Generators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the manufacture of water gas and its object is to imurove the quality and quantity of such gas by supplying a constant volume of air to the generator during the blow or heating up of the carburetor.

In the process of making Water gas, the generator is filled with a deep bed of coal or coke, and a blast of air is admitted in the bottom of the generator under the grate, and passes up through the fuel. The oxygen of the air unites with the heated carbon to form carbonic oxid. These products of partial combustion are then burned in the carbureter and superheater by admitting air from the blower. The result of this combustion is intense heat in the carburetor which is taken up by the loose firebriclr, or checkerbrick, with which the carburetor and super heater are filled. .T he resulting carbonic acid and nitrogen-products of complete combustion then pass ed to the atmosphere through the stack valve. The degree and distribution of heat in the carburetor and superheater are entirely under control, and

can be adapted to the character of the oil used in the carbureter. When the temperature in the carburetor is of the proper amount, the air blasts are shut oft, and all combustion" ceases. The stack valve is then closed and steam is admitted under the grate of the generator. The passage of this steam through the highly heated fuel produces non-luminous water gas. As this gas enters the to of the carburetor it meets a'spray off partia l vaporized oil. The gas and the oil vapors pass together over the highly heated surfaces of the checker-brick, and the oil vapors are gasiiied and fixed in the presence of the non-luminous Water gas. The result is a thoroughly fixed and permanent illuminating gas, which passes on to he scrubbed, condensed and purified in the usual manner. This period of gas making is continued un-- til the heat in the apparatus is reduced to u been satisfactorilyaccomplished,

process, air is simply introduced to assist combustion; that is, a certain weight of oxygen is required for combining with the heated carbon in the generator in order to form carbonic oxid, and a certain weight of oxygen is required in the carbureter for burning the carbonic oxid and producing in tense heat. The amount of oxygen required in the generator for arid, and the amount 0 oxygen required in the carburetor for complete combustion can be determined from the amount of carbon that is contained in the fuel fed to the gen-, erator. If the amount of carbon is definitely known, the amount of oxygen can alsobe known, and therefore, the amount of'weight of air which must be supplied to the generator in order to obtain eiilc-ient combustion of the carbon, and complete combustion of the carbonic oxid. It can, therefore, be seen that the successful and efficient oper tion of a gas producing plant depends largely upon the constancy of volume or rather weightoi air supplied and not upon the pressure un der which this air is delivered. If the fire is clean and free from. clinkers, a half a pound of air pressure possibly would he suiucient per minute. It, however, the fire is in an unhealthy condition owing to the formation of a blanket of clinkers over the grate, a higher iffensure to blast the same quantity of air per minute through the fire is required. Therefore, any device which will control the air supplied in such a manner as to deliver a constant weight of air regardless of the pressure necessary to force this air through the generator will be the most efficient do vice for gas making.

The necessity of supplying a constant volumo or Weight of air during the process oi as makin although recognized, has not Usually fproducing carbonic to give the'desired quantity of air an air meter in the shape of a Venturi tube is placed in the discharge end of the compressor, whose object is to measure the amount of air flow on the discharge end of the blower. It can, however, be readily seen that this air meter will not perform the function intended because the pressure on the discharge end of the compressor will continually vary in order to deliver acon stant volume of air due to varying resistances in the generator. If the air meter registers the correct amount of air or oxygen supplied when the discharge pressure is *2; of a pound it will no longer register the correct weight of air when the pressure is increased or decreased; that is, the air meter on the disclrarge end will only measure constant volume at various densities, hence not constant weight of air or oxygen. We know that 14,000 cubic. feet of air under 2 of a pound pressure contains less weight of oxygen-than 14,000 cubic feet of air under one pound pressure. Hence, the indications of a constant volume at the discharge end of the compressor do not necessarily mean a constant weight of air or oxygen. Again this meter as installed does not automatically control the supply of a constant weight of air, but simply furnishes a means of indicating what is happening at the discharge end of the compressor and it is left to the operator to so change the speed of, hisblower that this volume can remain fairly constant. In all the installations that the applicant has been able to study it was not possible for the operator to be continually controlling the speed of the compressor so that a constant volume could be secured.

The correct place to measure constant volume is at the suction end of the compressor, where the air conditions remain practically constant. Changes in atmospheric and barometric conditions are the only things hat would \influence the density, temperature and saturation of the air at this po1nt. By measuring either automatically or otherwise, the volume or weight of air delivered at the suction end of the compressor, a much more accurate means of control is obtained.

In carrying out my invention I prefer to use a centrifugal air compressor, driven by a suitable motor which is controlled by a constant volume governor in the air supply speed of the impeller thereof. As the pressure delivered by a centrifugal compressor is directly proportional to the square of the speed of the impeller, the constant volume governor will vary the pressure sufficiently to overcome restrictions in the plant without varying the neighbor volume of air.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of a gas generator and carbureter supplied with airby a centrifugal compressor equipped with a con conduit of such compressor, controlling the stant volume governor, and Fig. 2 is a side view of the governor on a slightly larger scale.

1 indicated generator, connected by a" pipe 2 with the carbureter 3 from which the products of'combustion pass all by the stack 4. Steam can be supplied to the generator and the carburetor by the pipes5, 6,

respectively, and oil can be fed into the.

carbureter y the pipe 7.1 The fixed gas is conducted mm the carbureter by the pipe 8.

The air blast is supplied under the grate of the generator by the pi e 9, and to the carburetor by thepipe 10, 0th pipes being connected to the outlet of a centrifugal air compressor 11. In the drawing this. compressor is shown as driven by a steam turbine l2 taiting'steam from a main 13.] A

throttle valve 14 controls the flow of steam, governed by a speed-responsive de-' and is vice 15.

t some suitable" point in the air supply conduit of the air compressor, preferably in the intake 16, is located the constant-volume governor comprising a float 17 attached to a stem 18, and located in an inverted frustoconical pipe section 19 connected by an elhow 20 with the inlet flange of the compressor. The stem 18 projects up through the elbow 20, and is connected to a beam 21 pivoted at 22 and carrying a sliding counterweight 23. A dash-pot 24 steadies the movements of this beam, oneend of which is operatively connected (as by means of a unhealthy condition by the formation of a blanket of clinker, the resistance to air flow through the generator is increased. Against this increased resistance the compressor can no longer deliver the required volume ofair, so that momentarily a less quantity is drawn through the inlet. But just as soon as this occurs, the float 17 can no longer remain in its normal position because it is not sustained by the original volume of air. It therefore descends and pulls down the beam 21, thereby opening the throttlev valve 14,

and speeding up the compressor. This gradually increases the air sufiiciently high to overcome the additional resistance in the generator and thus again forces the requiredvolume of air through the apparatus. The constant volume governor thus responds instantly to any change ressure until it is,

blast continues during the time calculated to be necessary to fully consume said charge, leaving it to e constant volume governor to insure the c int elivery of the proper Weight of air. his tends to better efliciency in operation and a more uniform product.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have described the principle of operation of my invention together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof; but I desire to have it understood that the apparatu" shown is only illustrativ and that the int": tion canbe carried out by other means. 7

lVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. The combination with a water gas plant,

of a compressor for supplying air thereto, a regulator for the compressor, and means responsive to the volume of air entering the suction side of the compressor for'controlling the regulator.

2. The combination with a Water gas plant of a centrifugal compressor for supplying air thereto, a motor for driving the compressor, and means controlled by the volume of air entering the suction side of the compressor for regulating the motor whereby a constant weight of air is delivered by the compressor.

3. The combination with a Water gas plant, of a centrifugal compressor for supplying air thereto, a motor for driving said com pressor, and a constant volume governor in the air supply conduit of said compressor for controlling the speed of said motor.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this th day of September 1913.

LOUIS G. LOEWENSTEIN' l/Vitnesses JOHN A. MoMAXUs, Jr., FRANK G. HATTIE. 

